Post by sadie on Oct 17, 2011 19:33:57 GMT -5
(CNN) -- With more than 60 books to his name and countless speaking engagements, Dr. Deepak Chopra is widely known for his opinions on topics from spirituality to medicine.
Among his recent projects is an exploration of the often-contentious relationship between religion and science.
He's even got views on superheroes, which is why he's appearing at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday on a panel called "From Buddha to Batman."
Channeling superheroes in everyday life
Five years, ago Chopra and "Superman" comic writer Grant Morrison did a Comic-Con panel about how superheroes figure into our culture. That discussion inspired Chopra's recent book "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World."
"By popular demand," the panel is back, Chopra says. This time, his son Gotham Chopra, who founded Liquid Comics, will also speak.
"There's a potential for greatness within all of us. This greatness unfolds when we have an emotional relationship to role models, either in history or mythology or religion," he said.
These role models, including Superman and Batman, act as symbols that express our collective imagination and desire for greatness, he said. They are symbolic figures found in every culture. Moses, Jesus and Buddha, as well as more recent heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr., are examples.
"The characters are the same; the uniforms have changed," he said.
Mahatma Gandhi reflected Jesus' teachings of nonviolent solutions, compassion and unconditional love, he said.
By asking meaningful questions -- What kind of world do I want to live in? What are my unique skills and talents? Who are my heroes and heroines? -- we can tap into those archetypes.
Chopra also recommends doing contemplative meditation on these ideas. The basic idea behind this technique is: You ask a question, and then you let it go, releasing it into "the stillness of your own consciousness," he said. You might be sitting in complete quiet or chanting a mantra. The answer may be an insight, a creative epiphany or other idea, but it "always comes back to you."
His favorite among the Western comic book heroes is Batman. "He doesn't really have any superpowers, but yet he can accomplish extraordinary things."
for more:
www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/20/tedmed.chopra.comic.con/index.html
Among his recent projects is an exploration of the often-contentious relationship between religion and science.
He's even got views on superheroes, which is why he's appearing at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday on a panel called "From Buddha to Batman."
Channeling superheroes in everyday life
Five years, ago Chopra and "Superman" comic writer Grant Morrison did a Comic-Con panel about how superheroes figure into our culture. That discussion inspired Chopra's recent book "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World."
"By popular demand," the panel is back, Chopra says. This time, his son Gotham Chopra, who founded Liquid Comics, will also speak.
"There's a potential for greatness within all of us. This greatness unfolds when we have an emotional relationship to role models, either in history or mythology or religion," he said.
These role models, including Superman and Batman, act as symbols that express our collective imagination and desire for greatness, he said. They are symbolic figures found in every culture. Moses, Jesus and Buddha, as well as more recent heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr., are examples.
"The characters are the same; the uniforms have changed," he said.
Mahatma Gandhi reflected Jesus' teachings of nonviolent solutions, compassion and unconditional love, he said.
By asking meaningful questions -- What kind of world do I want to live in? What are my unique skills and talents? Who are my heroes and heroines? -- we can tap into those archetypes.
Chopra also recommends doing contemplative meditation on these ideas. The basic idea behind this technique is: You ask a question, and then you let it go, releasing it into "the stillness of your own consciousness," he said. You might be sitting in complete quiet or chanting a mantra. The answer may be an insight, a creative epiphany or other idea, but it "always comes back to you."
His favorite among the Western comic book heroes is Batman. "He doesn't really have any superpowers, but yet he can accomplish extraordinary things."
for more:
www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/20/tedmed.chopra.comic.con/index.html